Grasshopper-destroyer.



M. J. A. KOCHEVAR, J11. GBASSHOPPER DESTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 1a, 1914.

1,133,039. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-*SHEET 1.

62X): h we w [oz macaw THE mamas PIIETERS co. PHOTO-LJTHQ, WASHINGTON, oc

M. J. A. KOCHEVAR, JR. GRASSHOPPER DESTQROYER.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.13, 1914.

1,1 33,039. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

' 2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

a Q 4 UJI! Witt moses THE NORRIS-PETERS CO.. PHOm-LITHQ, WASHING TON. D.C.

pmran sra'rns Parana OFFICE.

MARTIN J. A. KOCI'IEVAB, JR, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

eRAssHoPPER-nEsrRoYEn.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed October 13, 1914. Serial No. 866,503.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN J. A. KooHE- VAR, Jr., citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pueblo, inthe county of Pueblo and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrasshopper-Destroyers, of which the following is a specification.

. The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsin insect catchers and destroyers, and more particularly to agrasshopper destroyer which embodies novel features of constructionwhereby it can be used successfully by farmers for removing grasshoppersfrom fields of alfalfa and the like which may be infested therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grasshopper destroyerwhich is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, whichis effective in operation and when used every day or every other dayupon a grasshopper infested field will keep the number of grasshoppersdown to a minimum so as to prevent any material damage to the crop, andwhich catches and destroys the grasshoppers in such a mannerthat theymay be used for feeding chickens and other fowl.

I With these and other ob ects in view, the

. invention consists in certain novel combil I I 1 per destroyerconstructed in accordance with nations and arrangements of the parts aswill more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel featuresthereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is atop plan view of a grasshopthe invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevationthereof, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the uprightframe and sheet of glass, said section being taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2 and portions being broken away.

Correspondingand like parts are referred to in the following descriptionand indicated in all'the views of the drawings by the same referencecharacters.

The mechanism of the grasshopper destroyer is designed to be mountedupon the running gear of a wagon or upon a movable frame adapted to bedrawn or propelled across a grasshopper infested field so that naled.This connected by a cross piece 6 and terminate in inwardly offsetportions 1 which are provided with suitable bearings 7 within which therear axle 8 is journaled. The rear supporting wheels 9 are rigid withthe axle 8, while the front supporting wheels 10 are journaled upon theends of the axle 5. A shaft 11 of any. conventional construction may beconnected to the front axle 5 and this shaft is shown as provided with adoubletree 12 and singletrees 13 so that draft animals can be, connectedthereto for the purpose of drawing the device across a field.

The side bars 1 of the main frame are provided with correspondingbearings 14 within which a transverse shaft 15 is jourshaft 15 extendsaxially through an elongated grasshopper receptacle 16 which isconstructed with flattened sides and preferablyhas a polygonal crosssection. One of the sides of the polygonal grasshopper receptacle 16 isprovided with the doors 17 which can be opened to permit of thegrasshoppers entering the receptacle or being discharged therefrom.

Arranged directly above the grasshopper receptacle 16 and transverseshaft 15 is a sheet 18 of glass or other transparent ma terial,saidsheet of glass being secured within a suitable vertical frame 19.The lower end of the frame 19 terminates just above the top of thegrasshopper receptacle and is supported by suitable brackets 20projecting from the main frame. The top of the frame 19 is alsoconnected to brace members or brackets 21 which cooperate Pconstruction. One end of the countershaft 22 is connected by the gearing26 to the corresponding end of the shaft 15 and thisgearing is shown asinclosed in a casing27. A pair of brackets 28 project from the rearcrossbar Gof the main frame and ammovided with bearings to receive thecountershaft 22, and a bell crank lever 29 is mounted upon one of thesebrackets. One arm of the bell crank lever 29 has an operative connectionwith the clutch 25,.while the opposite arm thereof is connected byacable 30 toahand-lever 31 mounted upon a transvversebeamr32 at theforwardend of the :frame, said hand lever being arranged in a convenientposition upon one side of a seat 33whichis alsomounted upon the beam 32.The intermediate portion of the cable -30 is shown as deflected upwardlyand pass- .ing around a. pulley '34 at: the bottom ofthe vertical frame19' so thatthe cable clears the grasshopper receptacle anddoesnotinterfere with "the properoperation or rotation thereof.

:In F ign2'the ;device is shown inoperative :position with the .openside of the grass- ;hopperreceptacle 15 facing upwardly and "the doors17 in an open position; The clutch 25 is nowmovedinto-an'open positionso that the grasshopper receptacle will not be rotated asthemachine'advances, and the :device drawn across a field infested withgrasshoppers which it isdesired todestroy. As these vgrasshoppers arefrightened and fiy in all'directions, large numbers thereofWillstrikeagainst the upright sheet of glass 18 which is of considerablesize and is invisible to-the insects flying toward the same. 'Thosegrasshoppers striking against :the 'sheet o'f glass will bestunned anddrop into the receptacle 16 through the open top thereof. As soon as asufficient number of the grasshoppers has thus been collected in thereceptacle 16, the covers '17 of the open side of the receptacle areclosed and the hand "lever 31-moved to close the clutch'25. Thecountershaft 22 will then receive motion from the rear aXle'S andtransmit this ano- -tion to the-shaft 15 so that the receptacle 16 willbe rotated at a rapidspeed. Owingto the polygonal cross section of thereceptacle '16, this rapid rotation thereof will :act upon the masses ofgrasshoppers within the receptacle to completely kill or stun the sameso that they will not be able to escape when discharged from themachine. The grass- -hoppers within the receptacle can be discharged atany desired position by opening the covers 17 and revolving thereceptacle until the open end thereof faces downwardly. The grasshoppersthus discharged upon the ground may be fed to the poultry, packed inbarels for future use, saturated with oil and burned, or otherwisedestroyed. 'Ihe machinery may be driven across the field at theconvenience of the'farmer, either every day or every other day and willserve to reduce the number of grasshoppers upon the field to, such anextent as to prevent any grasshoppers which strike against thetransparent sheet and are stunned thereby, a door for closing thereceptacle, and means for rotating the receptacle whenaclosed to killthe grasshoppers :therein.

'2. A grasshopper destroyer including a movably mounted supporting:frame adaptedtobe propelled acrossa grasshopperinfested field, anupright transparent :sheet supported upon the said frame inia irigidposition, a receptacle :of polygonal cross section arranged under thetransparent sheet so that grasshoppers striking against the transparentsheet and stunned thereby "will drop into the :receptacle, a door v forclosing .the polygonal receptacle, and means FfOI .re-

volving :the polygonal receptacle to .kill :the

grasshoppers therein.

3. A grasshopper destroyer including front and :rear axles, a framemounted thereon, transverse shaft journaled upon the frame, .a@polygonal grasshopper ,:receptac'le mounted :upon the transverse shaftand formed with an open side, a door for closing the open side, anupright sheet of transparent material arranged in a vertical position:above the transverse shaft, means for holding the transparent sheet ofmaterial rigidly in :position so that grasshoppers striking against thesame and stunned thereby will drop into the polygonal receptacle, adriving conmotion between one of the axles and the transverse shaft forrotating the polygonal receptacle to kill the grasshoppers therein afterthe door to the receptacle has been "closed, and a clutch controllingthe said driving connection.

4. A grasshopper destroyer including front and rear axles, a framesupported thereon, a transverse shaft journaled upon the frame, agrasshopper receptacle of polygonal formation mounted upon the shaft andformed with an open side, a closure for the open side, a sheet oftransparent material arranged in a vertical position above thetransverse shaft so that grasshopy-iers striking against the same andstunned thereby will drop into the polygonal receptacle, means forsupporting the sheet of transparent material rigidly in position, anountershaft journaled upon the supporting tive position for the purposeof killingg' the l frame and arranged parallel to the transgrasshopperstherein.

verse shaft, gearing between the counter In testimony whereof Iaflix mysignature shaft and transverse shaft, a driving conin presence of twoWitnesses.

. nection between the rear axle amf the transverse shaft, and a clutchmrnber MARTIN KOGHEVAR controlling the driving connection so thatWitnesses: the polygonal receptacle ,can be rotated ADALBERT GRoss,after. the closure has been moved into opera- ANN A GROSS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

